The Daily Stoic

This is your moment to tip the balance - to move from darkness into light, from stagnation into growth, from winter's rest into spring's renewal.

It didn’t feel good at the time. But now? Years later? We think about it a little differently.

We can keep being the person we’ve always been…or we can change. That’s the choice of life, the Stoics believed. 

What are your panic rules? In June of 2023, Ryan Holiday spoke to a group of U.S. Marines in 29 Palms, California about how to stay cool under pressure and set panic rules for difficult situations.

Yung Pueblo, one of today’s most influential poets, joins Ryan to discuss the overlap between Stoicism and Buddhism, why achieving success can lead to discontentment, and how ancient wisdom has transformed his life—and can transform yours too.Diego Perez is a meditator and #1 New York Times bestselling author who is known by his pen name, Yung Pueblo. Online he has an audience of over 4 million people. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves. He has sold over 1.5 million books worldwide that have been translated into over 25 languages. Diego is a general partner at Wisdom Ventures and a founder of Ready Platform, a dating and relationship support app.Pick up signed copies of his latest book How To Love Better and his other books Lighter, Inward, Clarity and Connection, and The Way Forward at The Painted Porch. You can follow him on Instagram @yung_pueblo and on X @YungPueblo.

It's been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic first upended our daily lives. Five years later and we've filled our calendars back up—often with commitments we don't even enjoy or need. 

What we do as people is we accumulate stuff. We accumulate, accumulate, accumulate…until our homes, our cars, our minds, and our schedules are cluttered. 

World-renowned illusionist and mentalist Derren Brown joins Ryan for a deep dive into his connection with Stoic philosophy. Derren shares how he first discovered Stoicism, how his perspective on Marcus Aurelius and the philosophy has evolved over the years, and the life-changing lessons it has taught him about happiness.Derren Brown’s groundbreaking UK television career began in 2000 with Mind Control, and since then, he has captivated audiences with mind-bending feats—from playing Russian Roulette live on air to leading a national séance and even immobilizing viewers in their own homes.Derren is the first magician in history to tour globally with eight sold-out one-man shows. He holds a record five Olivier Award nominations (with two wins) and made his U.S. stage debut with SECRET, which won the New York Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience before returning for a sold-out Broadway run in 2019.Check out Derren’s latest work Meditations by Marcus Aurelius in Conversation With Deren Brown: https://

They cause drama. They make things complicated. They say things that are hurtful. The Stoics dealt with these folks because these folks have always been with us.

What would you give for the key to unshackle you from the fear and laziness holding you back?

People can beat you, but no one can stop you from improving.

In today's episode, discover George Raveling's powerful philosophy on navigating life’s chaos. With years of experience guiding top players and coaches, he reveals how to turn uncertainty into opportunity and transform life’s challenges into a winning strategy.

What this changing of the clocks should be–with their earlier mornings–is a wake up call. This is a chance for us to rethink, reexamine and re-invigorate.

In today’s PT. 2 episode, George Raveling, basketball legend and Civil Rights leader, opens up about his close bond with Michael Jordan, the question he asks himself every morning, and why serving others holds more value than any accolade.As one of the most revered basketball coaches of all time, George has mentored legendary athletes and worked alongside coaching icons like Bob Knight and John Wooden. He played a pivotal role in persuading Michael Jordan to collaborate with Nike on Air Jordan, guided the 1984 U.S. men’s Olympic team to gold, and even became the unexpected guardian of the original, handwritten copy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. 

As winter fades and spring emerges, as we adjust our clocks for daylight savings here in the next few days, it's a good time to pause and reflect. Where did the time go?

Sometimes hope is as simple as giving someone a reason to get through until morning. It's showing up, day after day, and saying, ‘I’m here for you.’”

Ryan Holiday sits down with one of his greatest inspirations, the legendary George Raveling, a pioneer in basketball, civil rights, and leadership. From his childhood in segregated Washington, D.C., to becoming one of the most influential figures in sports history, George’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In this PT. 1 episode, George shares remarkable stories from his life, including his encounters with Presidents Jimmy Carter, Harry S. Truman, and Gerald Ford, his groundbreaking role as Nike’s Global Director of Basketball, and how his lifelong journaling practice has shaped his wisdom and perspective.As one of the most revered basketball coaches of all time, George has mentored legendary athletes and worked alongside coaching icons like Bob Knight and John Wooden. He played a pivotal role in persuading Michael Jordan to collaborate with Nike on Air Jordan, guided the 1984 U.S. men’s Olympic team to gold, and even became the unexpected guardian of the original, handwritten copy of Dr. Martin

Be who you are. Stand out. Stand up.

During this season of spring cleaning, it’s worth pondering: How often do we organize not just our physical spaces, but our minds, routines, and assumptions?

Adversity costs us, sure, but it also gives us more of ourselves. It unlocks something in us that was not reachable in ordinary circumstances, that we didn’t know was there.